Means for washing and cleaning glass sheets



Jan. 31, 1933. T LEYLAND- 1,895,934

MEANS FOR WASHING AND CLEANING GLASS SHEETS Filed Feb. 28, 1929 l: l -ll:2: 4

36 gwuwtfoc I, I, 5 35 A5 L Thomas J] Lee lane Clitoral.

' rality Patented Jan. 31, 19 33 UNITED STATES- PArsN'r OFFICE THOMAS J.LEZLAND, OF TOLEDO OHIO, ABSIGNOR TO LIhBEY-OWENS-FOBD GLASS COMPANY, OFTOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO MEANS FOR WASHING AND CLEANING GLASSSHEETS Application filed February 28, 1929. Serial llo. 843,414.

This invention relates broadly to improve-- ments in washing andcleaning apparatus, and is primarily designed for use in the coritinuoussystem for surfacing sheet glass.

In the so-called continuous system, a pluof tables are arranged end toend in a continuous line and are adapted to carry glass sheets mountedthereupon successively beneath andin engagement with a series ofgrinding and polishing tools. The glass sheets are ordinarily securedupon the tables by imbedding them within a layer of plaster of Paris orthe like, one surface of the sheet beingfirstEround'and then polished,after which the sheet is removed from the table, turned over, againsecured-thereon, and the second surface then ground and polished. Theglass sheets are usually spaced slightly from one another so that theplaster or other cement-is also positioned between the ad a'- cent edgesof the adjoining sheets as well asat the side edges thereof whereby tomore firmly secure them in position.

During the "grinding operation, however, portions of the plaster at theedges of the sheets quite often bepome loose and the glass sheets aresometimes cracked. It is therefore desirable, after the glass sheetspass from beneath the grinders and before they are passed to thepolishers, that a relatively thin coating or film of plaster of Paris orother suitable cement be again spread over the surfaces thereof.- Thisadditional plaster is provided to fill in any spaces between the sheetsor at the side. edges of the sheets which may result from the workingloose of the plaster during grinding and to also fill in the crackswhere the sheet may have become broken, the net resultbeing that thisadditional plaster spread upon the sheets after the grinding operationwill act to again firmly secure the sheets in position prior topolishing. v

The general object of this invention is the provision of improvedapparatus forwashing and cleaning the upper surfaces of the glass sheetsin a thorough and efiicient manner and preferably at a pointintermediate the grinding and polishing units so as to remove all of thesurplus plaster remaining thereupon and thus prepare the sheets forpolishing. The washing and cleaning apparatus herein provided is adaptedto be disposed in a fixed position and to treat the surfaces of thesheets as they are carried therebeneath It is also desirable that thesheets be washed and cleaned prior to polishin in order to removetherefrom any abraslve material, glass dust or splinters remainingthereon from the grinding operation since should this glass dust, etc.be picked up bv the polishing members, the glass 15 very apt to bescratched and the quality of olish greatly impaired.

t r objects and advantages of the inventionill become more apparentduring the course of the following description when ployed to designatelike parts throughout the same, i

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the general layout of one continuoussystem for surfacing sheet glass.

ig. 2 is a plan view of the washing and cleaning apparatus provided bythe present invention.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through a portion thereof. Fig. 4 is adetail section showing the adjustmg means for the washing brush, and

1g. 5 is a detail front view of'one of the scraping members. 7

Referring first to Fig. 1, there is ordinarily rovided in the continuoussystem for surfacmg sheet glass, a workingtrack 10 and a return track 11arran ed substantially parallel with one another. ounted above theworking track 10 are a series of grinding units 12 followed by a seriesof polishingunits 13 spaced from said'grinding units. A plurality' ofglass supporting tables 14 are adapted the glass sheets to be surfacedfirst'benea .the grinding units .and then beneath the polto run alongthe tracks 10 and 11 and to carrg t 7 ground and polished, the sheetsareremoved from the tables, turned over, again secured to the tables atthe forward end of the working track and passed beneath the grinding andpolishing units to surface the second side. After the sheets are removedfrom the tables, the said tables are moved onto the turn table 17 andtransferred to the return track 11, the tables passing to the left alongthe return track and onto the turntable 16 by means of which they areagain transferred to the working track 10.

As above stated, the aim of the present invention is the provision ofimproved means whereby the washing and cleanin of the upper surfaces ofthe glass sheets su sequent to the grinding andprior to the polishingthereof may be effected in a thorough and efiicient manner. To this end,there is positioned in advance of the polishing units 13 a rotarywashing brush 19 extending transversely of the tables and mounted upon ashaft 20 journaled at its opposite ends in bearings 21 and 22 carried bybrackets 23 and 24 respectively secured to supportin standards or thelike 25 and 26. The brac ets 23 and 24 are provided with downwardlydepending portions 27 (Fig. 4 having vertical slots 28 therein through wich are received the bolts 29 carried by thebearings 21 and 22. Threadedupon the bolts 29 at the rear of portions 27 are nuts 30. By theprovision of such a construction, it will be readily apparent that thebrush 19 can be raised an lowered as desired with respect to the tablesand the glass sheets carried thereby. This brush maybe driven through abelt drive or the like 31 from any suitable source of power.

Also extending transversely above the tables and arranged in the rear ofthebrush 19 is a transverse water supply pipe 32 having a series ofdownwardly projected outlet nozzles 33 for directing the water or othercleaning fluid supplied to the pipe downwardly upon the glass sheetsbeneath the brush 19.

Arranged at the rear of the water supply pipe 32 and carried by thestandards 25 and 26 is a stationary angle member 34 carrying a verticalshield 35 and scraping member or plate 36 secured thereto by means ofbolts 37. These bolts pass through vertical slots 38 in scraping member36, whereby said member may be raised and lowered relative to the glasssheets. The shield 35 is provided to prevent any of the water, etc. frombeing by not supplying any rouge or other olishing medium thereto. Therouge may e supplied to each of the following polishing units, however,through a supply pipe or the like 43. -Any preferred numberof wipingmembers 42 maybe used.

If found desirable, a second or auxiliary wiping means designated in itsentirety by the numeral 44 may be arranged transversely of the tables toengage the glass at the rear of the wiping unit 39. The auxiliary wipingmeans preferably includes stationary wiping member or plate 45 ofsubstantially the same construction and arrangement as the scrapingmember 36 above described. Further, an auxiliary wiping member 45 may bepositioned between as many adjacent polishing units as desired such asbetween'the first and second polishing units, second and third units,etc;

In operation, as the glass sheets are carried upon the tables beneaththe washing and cleaning apparatus herein provided, the sheets willfirst be subjected to the action of the rotary brush 19 and thoroughlywashed or scrubbed thereby with the aid of the waprevent the same frombeing carried beneath the wiping members 42. The Wiping members thenacting upon the sheets are adapted to wipe substantially clean thesurfaces thereof after which the auxiliary wiping means 44 will effect afinal wiping of the sheets before they are passed to the polishingunits.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as the preferred embodiment of the same, andthat various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or'thescope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In washing and cleaning apparatus of the character described, thecombination with a plurality of movable tables adapted to carry a seriesof glass sheets in a definite substantially horizontal path, ofrotatable means for washing the sheets, and rotatable means forsubsequently dry wiping the same,

carry a series of glasssheets in a definite substantially horizontalpath, of means rotat able about a substantially horizontal axis forwashing the sheets, and means rotatable about a substantially verticalaxis for subsequently dry wiping the same, said washing means and wipingmeans being mounted in a fixed position and adapted to engage saidsheets as the are carried therebeneath.

3. In was ing and cleaning apparatus of the character described, thecombination with a plurality of movable tables adapted to. carry aseries of glass sheets in a definite substantially horizontal path, ofmeans for washing the sheets, means for subsequentlydry wiping the same,and scraping means for the sheets interposed between the washing meansand wiping means, said 'washing means, wiping means and scraping meansbeing mounted in a fixed position and adapted to engage said sheets asthey arescarried therebeneath.

4. In washing and cleaning apparatus ofthe character described, thecombination with a plurality of movable tables adapted to carry a'seriesof glass sheets in a definite substa-ntiall'y'horizontal path, ofrotatable means for washing the sheets, rotatable means for subsequentlywiping, the same, and scraping means for the sheets interposed betweenthe washing means and dry wiping means, said, washing means, wipingmeans and scraping means being mounted in a fixed position and: adaptedto engage said sheets as they are carried therebeneath.

5. In washing and cleaning'apparatu's of the character described, thecombination with a plurality of movable tables adapted to carry a seriesof glass sheets in a definite suhstantially horizontal path, of meansrotatable about a substantially horizontal axis for washing the sheets,means rotatable about a substantiallg vertical axis for subsequently.dry wiping t e same, and stationary scraping means for the sheetsinterposed between the washing means and wiping means, said washingmeans, wiping means and scraping means being mounted in ajfixed positionand adapted to engage said sheets as they are carried therebeneath.

6. In washing and cleaning apparatus of the character described, thecombination with a pluralityof movable tables adapted to carry a seriesof glass sheets in a definite sub-' stantially horizontal path, ofrotatable means for washing the sheets, rotatable means for subsequentlydry wiping the same, and auxiliary dry wiping means for the sheetsarranged at the rear of the first named Iwiping means, said washingmeans and first and second mentioned wiping means being mounted in afixed position and adapted toengage said'sheets as they are-carriedtherebeneath.

7. In washing and cleaning apparatus of the character described, thecombination with a plurality of movable tables adapted to carry a seriesof glass sheets in a definite substantially horizontal path, ofrotatable means for washing the sheets, rotatable means for subsequentlydry wiping the same, scraping means for the sheets interposed betweenthe washing means and wiping means, and auxiliary dry wlplng means forthe sheets arranged at the rear of the first named Wiping means, saidwashing means, scraping means and first and second mentioned w1p1ngmeans being mounted in a fixed position and adapted to engage saidsheets as they are carried therebeneath.

8. In washing and cleaning apparatus of the'character described, thecombination with a plurality of movable tables adapted to carry a seriesof glass sheets in a definite substantially horizontal path, of arotatable brush mounted transversely above the tables and adapted toengage the glass sheets, means for supplying a cleaning fluid to thebrush, anda plurality of members rotatable about a substantiallyvertical axis and arranged at the rear of said brush for subsequently.dry wiping said sheets.

' 9. In washing and cleaning apparatus of the character described, thecombination with a plurality of movable tables adapted to car ry aseries of glass sheets in a definite sub stantially horizontal path, ofa rotatable brush mounted transversely above the tables and adapted toengage the glass sheets, means for supplying a cleaning fluidvto thebrush,

a plurality of members rotatable about a substantially vertical axis andarranged at v the rear of said brush for subsequently dry wiping saidsheets, and a stationary scraping member arranged transversely of thetables and adapted to engage the sheets be tween said brush and wipingmembers.

10. In washing and cleaning apparatus of the character described, thecombination with a plurality of movable tables adapted to carry a seriesof glass sheets in-a definite sub stantially horizontal path, ofarotatable brush mounted transversely above the tables and adapted toengage the glass sheets, means for supplying a cleaning fluid to thebrush,

a plurality of members rotatable about a substantially vertical axis andarranged at the rear of said brush for subsequently'dry wipingsaidsheets, and an auxiliary dry wiping member arranged transversely ofthe tables and adapted to engage the sheets at the rear of said firstmentioned wiping members.

11. In washing and cleaning apparatus of the character described, thecombination with ber arranged transversely of the tables and y aplurality of movable tables adapted to carry a series of glass sheets ina definite substantially horizontal path, of a rotatable brush mountedtransversely above the tables and adapted to engage the glass sheets,means for supplying a cleaning fluid to the brush, a plurality ofmembers rotatable about a substantially vertical axis and arranged atthe rear of said brush for subsequently dry wiping said sheets, astationary scraping memadapted to engage the sheets between said brushand wiping members, and an auxiliary stationary dry wiping memberarranged to engage said sheets at the rear of said first mentionedwiping members.

Signed at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, this 19thday of February THOMAS J. LEYLAND.

